Vision of the Child winners get fresh bounties

Four months after emerging winners in the yearly Vision of the child competition, the 12 winners in the literary and painting categories will be hosted to a series of activities beginning from July 27 till early next month. They will be hosted by the VoTC organising team led by Foluke George to activities that include: training at Microsoft Nigeria, special exhibition of the winning work in the painting category, special visit to the sponsors of the project – Diamond Bank, Microsoft Nigeria, Honeywell Noodles and Airtel Nigeria, training and mentorship sessions (reading, writing and IT), and special interview with selected TV and Radio stations.

Earlier in April at a post-event gala award night that was swathe with glamour and pageantry, Master Ashaka Victory Ihona from Ajara Grammar School Badagry emerged the best student-painter in the prestigious competition that held as part of the 2015 Lagos Black Heritage Festival, LBHF2015. Tamaramiebi Akika from Corona School picked the winning prize in the literary category with her essay on the competition theme: The Road To Sambisa.

The formal award ceremony held at the Civic Centre on Friday April 24 with parents, teachers and eminent citizens of Lagos led by Erelu Abiola Dosumu and distinguished painter and textile designer, Chief Mrs Nike Okundaiye in attendance. There were also chief executives of the sponsoring corporate organisations at the event. From Diamond Bank was (Regional Manager, Mr. Benson Oraelosi, and Divisional Head Corporate Communications,Mrs. Ayona Trimnell,). Airtel was represented by head of High Value Experiences, Mrs Sarwi Rahaman; Honeywell Noodles had its Managing Director, Mr Lanre Jaiyeola, Divisional Managing Director, Dr. Nino Ozara and Microsoft Company had its Public Sector Director, Mr. Hakeem Adeniji-Adele and Citizenship Manager, Mr. Olusola Amusan in attendance.

Ashaka came out tops from 30 finalists from 35 schools that participated in the statewide competition. Shittu Ololade from Reagan Memorial School, Yaba, came second, while the 3rd place prize went to Anthony Blessing from Masterhand Academy, Badagry. In the 4th position was Anjola Olanrewaju from Masterhand Academy, Badagry; Amosu Abraham Akinlomo from Betterfuture College, Badagry was fifth, while Okwuchukwu Ivy From Lagos State model College, Badagry was sixth.

In the Literary category, which had the participants writing either essay, poem or short story on the theme, Titiloye Tobi from Topo Grammar School, Badagry came 2nd; Utibe Ekpeyong from Sacred Heart College, Apapa was 3rd; while Etina Samuel Onche from Danvic Leaders Academy, Apapa came 4th; and Princess Marinay from Park College Apapa, Angela Obinwa from Pampers Private School, took the 5th and 6th prizes respectively.

The painting and literary competition, which was obviously dominated by schools from Badagry followed by Apapa areas of Lagos, attracted 320 entries from 63 schools for the first phase. Sixty (60) finalists from 35 schools eventually featured in the last leg out of which the final 12 winners (six for painting, six for Literary) were decided by a panel of eminent judges including (for painting) renowned artists Chief Nike Okundaiye, Former Commissioner for Culture, Ondo State, Tola Wewe and the painter, art activist Ndidi Dike. The literary segment had among others, Mr Folu Agoi, a writer and educationist, Mr Segun Almaroof, a teacher and education activist and Mrs Adenike Arigbabu, a publisher and child worker.

The competition theme:”The Road To Sambisa” designed by the Festival Consultant and Nobel laureate in literature, Professor Wole Soyinka, was deliberately chosen to reflect on the tragedy of the infamous ‘Chibok Girls’ episode in which over 276 girls were kidnapped overnight from their school in Chibok town in the Northeastern part of the country. Over a year after, 217 of the girls remain missing in what has become a global embarrassment to the Nigerian nation and her people. The episode has led to nationwide campaign titled: “Bring Back Our Girls”.

At the award night, the winners took home prizes from the various sponsors. Diamond Bank presented winners in the painting category with cash prizes (1st Prize, N250,000; 2nd, N200,000; 3rd, N180,000; 4th, N150,000; 5th, N120,000; and 6th,N100,000 respectively) and gift bags for all the finalists. The cash prize was presented by the bank’s Regional Manager, Mr. Benson Oraelosi

Honeywell presented cash prizes of N100,000 each to the six winners from the Literary category with cartons of all its products to all the winners and 63 participants. The Prizes were presented by the Managing Director, Mr Lanre Jaiyeola, assisted by Divisional Managing Director, Mr Nino Ozara; Executive Director, Marketing, Mr Benson Evbwuoman and Human Resource Manager, Mr. Tunde Adebayo.

Microsoft gave the 12 winners from both literary and painting categories with Tablets. The presentation was made by the Public Sector Director, Mr. Hakeem Adeniji-Adele and Citizenship Manager for the company, Mr Olusola Amusan

Airtel Nigeria presented gifts contained in backpacks to the 63 finalists including the winners.

Head of LBHF Secretariat and coordinator of the VoTC Project, Mrs Foluke George, said “for making it into the final of the prestigious competition, you are all winners. So if you are not among the final list of winners, do not feel bad. You should learn even at this stage that we all cannot be winners in a competition, and that you must develop the mind to accept defeat in any contest you find yourself”. She urged them to remain good pupils and continue to study hard in order to excel in their studies. She thanked parents and teachers for encouraging their children, students and wards to feature in the competition every year. She also appreciated the various sponsors, especially Lagos State Government, for deploying state resources and goodwill in support of the project.

LBHF coordinator, Jahman Anikulapo, representing Prof Soyinka, thanked administration of former Governor Babatude Raji Fashola for its continuous belief in the prospective of the project to produce a new generation of young leaders, and urged the sponsors to remain committed to supporting the development of the Nigerian Child through the Vision of the Child. “The LBHF through the VoTC is committed to bringing our children into the national conversation, especially where it concerns their welfare and interest. These are not just leaders of tomorrow, they are leaders of today and our future as a nation, so we must do all that is necessary to involve them in decision making even at this young age,” he said.